Caption: Scleroderma. Thickened and tough looking skin on the neck of an elderly person with scleroderma. This is an autoimmune disorder where the body's immune system attacks its own cells. Scleroderma, also known as systemic sclerosis, is a rare condition that results in the persistent hardening of the body's connective tissues. It can affect any part of the body and may be localised or spread throughout the body. Although there is no treatment, it often slows down or stops of its own accord. In a minority it eventually causes death.